


Melancholia of the Faded

by misCOWculation



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Bullying, Character Death, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Forgiveness, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Heavy Angst, Homelessness, Humanity, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jealousy, Morality, Murder, Post-Canon, Post-High School, Redemption, Regret, Sad, Shame, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:46:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misCOWculation/pseuds/misCOWculation
Summary: "I don't understand. What would it have cost you? Your pride? Your time? All he needed was someone to be there for him.""Hinata-san--""What about now?" Hinata pressed, his brow lowering as his frustration increased. "Why do you suddenly care so much when he's already dead?!"---They failed him when he needed them most. Now that he's dead, what will they do?After Kageyama passes away unexpectedly, Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Kunimi, and Kindaichi are forced to reflect on their past actions.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou & Kindaichi Yuutarou & Kunimi Akira, Iwaizumi Hajime & Kageyama Tobio & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime & Kindaichi Yuutarou & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime & Kindaichi Yuutarou & Oikawa Tooru & Kunimi Akira, Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio & Kindaichi Yuutarou & Kunimi Akira, Kindaichi Yuutarou & Kunimi Akira, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 132





	Melancholia of the Faded

**August 12th, 2021**

Even after so many years, the outside of the barbecue restaurant still looked the same. In a way, it was comforting, and Kindaichi Yuutarou stared up at the shop's flickering neon sign with a small smile on his face. Beside him, his best friend—Kunimi Akira—had his eyes glued on his phone.

Kitagawa's Class of 2011 reunion fell upon a Thursday night, just three days after the conclusion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. They had all gotten an email from the organizers two weeks ago, and now—

Kindaichi turned to Kunimi. "I wonder what everyone looks like now."

Kunimi didn't glance up from his phone. "Old, maybe."

"We're only _twenty-five_."

This time, Kunimi put his phone away, smirking lightly. "Like I said, we're old men now."

Kindaichi rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go in."

The woman at the front desk, seeing how busy the waiting staff were, was kind enough to lead them to a back room, where many of their old classmates had already gathered, chatting excitedly as they caught up with each other. Cans of beer had already been opened and sat growing warm on the table, where meat was sizzling over the in-built grills.

"Heyy!" a broad-shouldered man with a beard and glasses called—Kindaichi actually did a double-take when he realized it was Saito, who had been thin and scrawny during middle school. "If it isn't Kindaichi and Kunimi!"

Kindaichi grinned. "Hey, everyone!"

They were welcomed into the group with open arms. It was a big room, and the number of people inside was starting to push fifty or sixty. Not everyone from their graduating class had come, of course, but it was still plenty of bodies inside.

Someone handed them both beers, which they sipped occasionally as they talked.

"Ahaha, no way!" Ueda Sara laughed into her hand as Kindaichi recounted a funny story to a group of people. "That's so fucking wild. What about you, Taniguchi-san? What have you been up to?"

Taniguchi told them all that he was now working in a construction company before the attention shifted to the next person—Shiroma Yubin. To Kindaichi and Kunimi, Shiroma—who had been the most popular girl in their grade—somehow looked almost the same as she did in middle school—just more mature. The baby fat on her face had disappeared, and her jawline was sharp and lovely.

"Well," drawled Shiroma, lifting her hand to flash a silver band on her ring finger. "I'd say I'm doing pretty well, hm?"

A flurry of hearty congratulations were offered, and Shiroma's red painted lips twisted into a smirk.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Ueda asked. "Anyone we might know?"

"No, he didn't go to Kitaichi. He's a psychiatrist... And a pretty popular one, too. Lots of lady customers. Honestly, if I weren't me, I might actually be jealous."

Laughter erupted.

Kindaichi's own chuckles were just dying down when Taniguchi inquired about Kunimi's life. The latter had mostly been keeping to himself throughout the conversation, quietly eating his grilled oyster blades on his plate.

"Eh." Kunimi shrugged. "I'm working in a psychiatrist's firm..." Shiroma perked up. "It's not that interesting, though. I probably won't get to tend to any patients until a few years have passed."

Shiroma cupped her cheek in one hand. "Aww, don't say that. My husband loves his job—then again, he's got a few years on us... You'll learn to love it, too, though! One day." She gave him a fox-like grin. "Maybe."

"You've always been a damn tease," grumbled Kunimi, Taniguchi guffawing next to him.

They stuffed themselves full at the event, and—soon—people began to leave. Some were going to an after-party, while others declared they would head home since they had work tomorrow. By eleven o'clock, perhaps twenty or so people were left in the room.

Kindaichi lifted his fourth can of beer to his lips, feeling buzzed. "Who didn't make it tonight?" he asked Taniguchi, Shiroma, and Ueda. "Pretty much everyone was here, right?"

"A couple of people didn't reply," Shiroma, who had been one of the organizers, informed him. She checked her perfectly manicured nails. "I dunno, though."

Kunimi exchanged a look with Kindaichi.

Then, almost reluctantly, the former asked, "What about... Kageyama?" Ueda and Taniguchi seemed lost. "Uh, Kageyama Tobio?"

Ueda blinked. "Who?" She poked Taniguchi's shoulder. "Does his name ring a bell to you, Taniguchi-san?"

Taniguchi was equally puzzled. "Can't say it does."

Shiroma didn't answer, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at her half-empty can of beer.

"Never mind," Kindaichi said flippantly. "It doesn't really matter—"

"Kageyama's dead."

The group fell silent, all of them turning slowly to Shiroma, who had peered up from staring blankly at her beer.

"W-what?" Ueda laughed weakly, her words slurring a little. "Wait, what? I'm, like, so confused..."

Shiroma was stone-faced. "It's true. I found out a while back. The police have ruled it a suicide."

Kindaichi barked a harsh laugh. "You're kidding... You're kidding, right? Why would he...?" He trailed off, dropping his gaze.

Kunimi said nothing, even as his cheeks lost all color and he slumped against the table.

"I thought you would've known," Shiroma continued, sounding a bit more critical than before. She picked up her beer can and moved it in a circular motion to swirl the liquid inside it. "I guess I was wrong."

Taniguchi laughed way too loudly for it to be natural. "You really killed the mood there, Shiroma-san!"

"Tch. Whatever." Shiroma unlocked her phone. "It's getting late... I'm gonna head home."

As soon as Shiroma was gone, the conversation completely fell apart. Not long after, they all agreed to disperse as well, going their separate ways at the front of the shop.

Kindaichi shouldered his jacket on as he followed Kunimi to where the latter had parked his car, his lips pursed. Eventually, he caught up, and they walked side by side.

"That's Shiroma for you, huh," Kindaichi attempted to make small talk, "Even back in junior high, she was always like that. Gossiping behind people's backs and making up all sorts of rumors and lies..."

Kunimi didn't look at him.

"I didn't realize she'd be that sick, though. What kind of person makes jokes like that—"

"She wasn't lying."

Kindaichi halted. "What?"

Kunimi stopped, too, gazing at Kindaichi. Under the street light, he could clearly see dark circles under his friend's eyes. "Not even Shiroma Yubin... would joke about that kind of thing."

"W-well, how would you know?" Kindaichi argued. "She had a pretty bad rep in middle school, right? And so what if Kageyama wasn't here tonight? It doesn't mean he's _dead_. Maybe he just couldn't make it. Or—or maybe he didn't wanna come, because..."

Kunimi raised an eyebrow. "Because?"

But Kindaichi didn't answer, simply staring at the pavement, where the circle of light from the street lamp was flickering.

Sighing, Kunimi pulled out his phone and typed something, his fingers shaking. Then he showed the screen to Kindaichi, having opened a news article. "Here."

**MAN WHO WAS SET TO TESTIFY AT MURDER TRIAL BUT KILLED BY TRAIN HAS DEATH RULED AS SUICIDE**

**_May 18th, 2018_ **

**_By Enaga Fumi_ **

_Kageyama Tobio, from Sendai, Miyagi, was believed to have been with two people when when he was hit on the tracks..._

Kindaichi felt his stomach stir as he read the words. "Oh, fuck. Oh, _fuck_ —oh my fucking _god_."

Kageyama Tobio was dead.

"You see?" Kunimi's voice sounded faraway. "A train... A train killed him. A _train_ , okay?"

"A train," Kindaichi echoed, even when he didn't believe it. "Yeah... Yeah, okay."

"Come on," Kunimi bumped his shoulder against Kindaichi's, "It's cold. Let's go."

Kunimi was right—it _was_ cold.

They hugged their jackets tighter.

It was so, so cold.

"It's not our fault, Kindaichi."

"... Yeah."

* * *

**_A/N: Inspired by the story of Terra Gardner._ **

**_Slow af updates while I'm working on Shard Society._ **


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